Just when Zhu Ying was drinking and chatting with Zhu Chong, the Prince of Qin, and Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin.

Yao Guangxiao had already received news from a secret source that Zhu Ying was following the Prince of Jin to meet the Prince of Qin.

This news soon reached the ears of Prince of Yan Zhu Di.

"It seems that the second and third brothers will support the eldest nephew."

Prince of Yan Zhu Di had a gloomy look on his face. He had never cared about his second and third brothers before.

Because he knew that although the two were older than him, they could not compare with him in terms of the throne.

There is no way my father would choose them.

Of course, Zhu Di never used any means to harm the reputation of the two.

When his elder brother Zhu Biao was still alive, he only occasionally dreamed of the throne, and spent more of his time governing his vassal states.

The news of his elder brother Zhu Biao's death made Zhu Di sad for a short time, but it was soon diluted by his hope of the throne.

But now, he suddenly felt like he was losing more than he gained.

Upon hearing this, Yao Guangxiao frowned and said nothing.

He also realized that if this continued, Zhu Ying's power would become increasingly powerful, especially after Lan Yu returned.

When Zhu Ying controls the military generals of the Ming Dynasty, even fake things can become true.

However, Yao Guangxiao is currently having some trouble with Zhu Ying.

After all, the capital is the core territory of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Some of his methods are difficult for him to use as he is subject to too many restrictions.

"I heard that Duke Song has returned to the capital. I think he has met my father today. I'm afraid my father is trying to help his nephew, just like he helped my elder brother, and put all his civil and military officials on the line."

Zhu Di spoke again, his tone now somewhat serious.

He found that if it was really as his father said, he seemed to have no ability to resist.

Although he was one of the nine vassal kings, he was very restricted in terms of military strength. The largest number of troops of the Three Guards was only 30,000.

What will I use to fight against Zhu Ying then?

"Your Highness, in my opinion, as long as His Majesty is still here in the capital, we have no power to fight back. The only way is to go outside the capital."

Yao Guangxiao pondered for a moment and then spoke.

The capital is in a very difficult situation, and everything is under the control of His Majesty. At present, Yao Guangxiao's idea is to be calm and make more preparations.

Zhu Di nodded.

He agreed with what Yao Guangxiao said. It was completely impossible for him to stir up trouble in the capital. If there was any unusual movement, his father would suppress it directly. There would be no chance at all.

"Now that the day of my eldest brother's burial has not yet arrived, I am afraid I will have to stay in the capital for a while before I can return to Peking."

Zhu Di said with a frown.

Now there is no point for him to continue staying in the capital.

But the eldest brother had not been buried, and they, the younger brothers, could not leave without a certain reason and the permission of their father.

This is the reason why they say an elder brother is like a father.

Upon hearing this, Yao Guangxiao suddenly said, "Isn't your majesty mobilizing troops and preparing to march to the southeast coast? Your Highness, are you sure you can take on the role of commander-in-chief this time?"

Although Yao Guangxiao did not attend court, Zhu Di would chat with Yao Guangxiao about the matters of the morning court every day.

To Zhu Di, Yao Guangxiao is currently a military strategist, so he naturally cannot be kept out of the loop.

Hearing this, Zhu Di frowned slightly and said, "I think my father must have guessed what happened to Zhu Ying. With this opportunity, the troops have already been mobilized, but the commander has not yet been decided."

"In my opinion, my father is planning to arrange for someone who already belongs to Zhu Ying."

The news of Japanese pirates on the southeast coast had already been discussed in the court before this month.

As for the Japanese pirates, no civil or military ministers in the court dared to be negligent or slack, and the Ministry of War also began to dispatch troops early to strengthen the coastal forces.

Even the coastal garrisons began to intensify their training and prepare for the war against the Japanese pirates.

But more than half a month has passed, and the commander-in-chief of the coastal troops has not been decided.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this method of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out will definitely be a great success.

But my father knows that the selection of commander-in-chief was not discussed in the morning court, nor was the ministers consulted.

It's as if I had forgotten about it.

"Your Highness actually has great hope of serving as the commander-in-chief this time. In my opinion, pacifying the Japanese is extremely important."

"The coast is long and the Japanese pirates are elusive. We will have to mobilize a large number of soldiers to defend against them."

"Besides, the unification of Japan this time will take a long time, maybe even several years, as the defeated will not know about it."

As Yao Guangxiao spoke, his tone became somewhat gloomy, and his intention was obvious.

When Zhu Di heard this, his eyes lit up and he immediately understood the meaning of Yao Guangxiao's words.

As the saying goes, when a general is on a mission outside the capital, he is not bound by the orders of his king.

For Zhu Di, the current situation is very bad. Thirty thousand soldiers may seem a lot, but compared to the entire Ming Dynasty, they cannot cause any waves.

But now, there is an opportunity. If I can serve as the commander-in-chief of the coastal army, to a certain extent, I will have a great ability to protect myself.

Now, from Zhu Di's point of view, if Zhu Ying ascended the throne, the biggest problem in the early stage would be self-preservation.

Zhu Di knew Zhu Ying very well. He was a merchant who was able to travel around the borders of the Ming Dynasty and had certain influence in the Western Regions, the desert and the grasslands.

But she is not as weak as she looks. If she were like that, she would not be able to survive in such a place.

Zhu Di lived in Peking for a long time, dealing with tribes on the grassland and had a good understanding of some of their customs.

The subordinates of various tribes gathered around Zhu Ying were obviously ruthless people.

There is no mercy for such a person.

Although he is really his eldest nephew now, and they are still uncle and nephew, Zhu Di knows in his heart that once Zhu Ying comes to power, without the restraint of his father, he will be the first one to be harmed.

With Zhu Di's intelligence, these naturally could not be guessed.

Even with his eldest nephew, second and third brothers, as well as Huaixi nobles and generals such as Lan Yu, Zhu Di's situation became even more difficult.

Thinking of this, Zhu Di couldn't help but ask, "I think my father will definitely not let me serve as the commander-in-chief of the army to pacify the Japanese."

Zhu Di could think of these things, and Yao Guangxiao could naturally think of them as well.

But does he care? He doesn't care.

So what if he fails? In Yao Guangxiao's heart, victory or defeat is not that important at all.

Even if it is as fleeting as a meteor, for Yao Guangxiao, it is worth it. Although a meteor is short-lived, it can also burst out with brilliant light.

"Your Majesty certainly won't do that, but if someone speaks up for Your Highness, then there will be no problem." Yao Guangxiao said with a hint of mystery.

"Who? Who else in the capital can influence my father's decision?" Zhu Di asked with a frown.

Ever since my mother and my eldest brother passed away, who in the court can still dare to go and influence my father, complaining that the grass on his grave is not tall enough.

"Of course it's your Highness's eldest nephew, your Majesty's eldest grandson, Zhu Ying." Yao Guangxiao said it directly without any hesitation.

But when Zhu Di heard this, he did not relax his frown and said, "How could my nephew help me? I'm afraid he wants to kill me."

Yao Guangxiao explained: "Your Highness is currently thinking too much. To be honest, Your Majesty and Zhu Ying can guess what we are thinking now."

"But speculation is always speculation. If His Highness has not made any unusual moves, no one can use Zhu Ying's case to impeach His Highness."

"From the surface, Your Highness is still Zhu Ying's benefactor. Even His Majesty should thank Your Highness for bringing Zhu Ying from the border to the capital. This is the only way to confirm Zhu Ying's identity."

Hearing this, Zhu Di nodded slightly.

Of course he knew these things, but if he didn't express his thoughts aloud, it would be useless even if others guessed them.

But just like this, how can we get Zhu Ying to help him take the position of commander-in-chief in suppressing the Japanese invaders?

When Yao Guangxiao saw that Zhu Di did not respond, he knew that the authorities were confused.

He explained: "Your Highness, in the name of uncle and nephew, is like the King of Qin and the King of Jin. If you invite Zhu Ying to a banquet, he will definitely agree."

"Let's put aside the fact that Your Highness brought Zhu Ying to the capital, the teahouse by the Qinhuai River and the five-story courtyard where he lives are all the credit of Your Highness."

"Without the permission of His Highness, Zhu Ying, a mere merchant, has no right to purchase a five-story compound."

"Your Highness only needs to establish an uncle-nephew relationship with Zhu Ying at the banquet, and then directly ask Zhu Ying to help with the matter of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army."

"There's no way he could refuse."

Yao Guangxiao's strategy was a complete overt conspiracy.

Even though Zhu Ying has confirmed his identity with His Majesty, he has not made it public.

It is inevitable to recognize Zhu Ying's identity now. No one can stop it while Your Majesty is still alive.

The only derailment in the current situation is something that neither Yao Guangxiao nor Zhu Di had expected.

After confirming Zhu Ying's background, His Majesty could actually bear not to allow him to enter the palace to announce his identity and enthrone him as the Crown Prince.

That is why Zhu Di is now in a more passive position.

When Zhu Di heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, but he did not answer immediately.

Instead, I was thinking about the feasibility of this matter in my mind.

The more I think about it, the more I feel that there is great potential in this matter.

The second and third brothers all acknowledged Zhu Ying's identity as their nephew. Even if he didn't acknowledge it, who would dare not acknowledge it under the oppression of their father?

I'm afraid even his title of king will be stripped away.

"Okay, let's do it this way. I will send someone to deliver the invitation to my nephew immediately." Zhu Di said with a smile, his mood already very good.

Yao Guangxiao said again: "In my opinion, if the eldest prince goes to convey this matter personally, it should be more successful."

Zhu Di looked at Yao Guangxiao deeply and said, "Just follow what the master said."

Zhu Di was of course well aware of the relationship between his eldest son Zhu Gaochi and his eldest nephew.

Since it was the eldest son who went there, Zhu Ying had no chance of refusing.

Yao Guangxiao lowered his head slightly, with a gleam in his eyes.

He has a deep understanding of human nature and is well versed in the Yin-Yang school's strategy of forming alliances and making coalitions.

Zhu Ying currently seems unstoppable, but he is confident that he can stir up trouble.

Regardless of the outcome, he must make sure that the name of Yao Guangxiao is known throughout the world.